WO2022201843A1

WO2022201843A1 - Chamber device and manufacturing method for electronic device

Info

Publication number: WO2022201843A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/003118
Authority: WO
Inventors: 准一藤本; 貴浩巽; 一喜永井; ジェフリーピーサーセル
Original assignee: ギガフォトン株式会社
Priority date: 2021-03-24
Filing date: 2022-01-27
Publication date: 2022-09-29
Also published as: US20230387641A1; CN116868457A; JPWO2022201843A1

Abstract

A chamber device (CH) is provided with an inside housing (50) that includes a passage port through which light generated by excitation of a laser gas in an interior space passes; and an outside housing (70) that surrounds at least part of the inside housing (50) from sides in the traveling direction of the light. The chamber device (CH) is provided with a partition wall (80) disposed between the inside housing (50) and the outside housing (70) and secured to the inside housing (50) and the outside housing (70).

Description

CHAMBER APPARATUS AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE MANUFACTURING METHOD

The present disclosure relates to a chamber apparatus and an electronic device manufacturing method.

In recent years, semiconductor exposure apparatuses have been required to improve their resolution as semiconductor integrated circuits have become finer and more highly integrated. For this reason, efforts are being made to shorten the wavelength of the light emitted from the exposure light source. For example, as gas laser devices for exposure, a KrF excimer laser device that outputs laser light with a wavelength of about 248 nm and an ArF excimer laser device that outputs laser light with a wavelength of about 193 nm are used.

The spectral line width of the spontaneous oscillation light of the KrF excimer laser device and the ArF excimer laser device is as wide as 350 pm to 400 pm. Therefore, if the projection lens is made of a material that transmits ultraviolet light, such as KrF and ArF laser light, chromatic aberration may occur. As a result, resolution can be reduced. Therefore, it is necessary to narrow the spectral line width of the laser light output from the gas laser device to such an extent that the chromatic aberration can be ignored. Therefore, in the laser resonator of the gas laser device, a line narrowing module (LNM) including a band narrowing element (etalon, grating, etc.) is provided in order to narrow the spectral line width. There is Hereinafter, a gas laser device whose spectral line width is narrowed will be referred to as a band-narrowed gas laser device.

JP-A-2002-176220

Overview

A chamber apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an inner housing including a passage opening through which light generated by excitation of a laser gas in an internal space passes, and an outer side surrounding at least a portion of the inner housing from the side in the light traveling direction. It may comprise a housing, and a partition disposed laterally between the inner housing and the outer housing and fixed to the inner housing and the outer housing.

A method for manufacturing an electronic device according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an inner housing including a passage opening through which light generated by excitation of a laser gas in an internal space passes; and a partition wall disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing and fixed to the inner housing and the outer housing. Laser light may be exposed onto a photosensitive substrate in the exposure apparatus for outputting the light to the exposure apparatus and manufacturing an electronic device.

Several embodiments of the present disclosure are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a gas laser device of a comparative example. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber apparatus shown in FIG. 2 perpendicular to the traveling direction of laser light. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration example of the entire gas laser device of the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an outer housing surrounding an inner housing and a temperature controller. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber apparatus shown in FIG. 4 perpendicular to the traveling direction of laser light. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the outer body surrounding the inner housing and the partition. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between cooling fins and partition walls.

embodiment

1. Description of the electronic device manufacturing apparatus used in the electronic device exposure process2. Description of Gas Laser Apparatus of Comparative Example 2.1 Configuration 2.2 Operation 2.3 Problem 3. Description of Chamber Apparatus of Embodiment 3.1 Configuration 3.2 Action and Effect

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The embodiments described below show some examples of the present disclosure and do not limit the content of the present disclosure. Also, not all the configurations and operations described in each embodiment are essential as the configurations and operations of the present disclosure. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same components, and redundant explanations are omitted.

1. 1. Description of Electronic Device Manufacturing Apparatus Used in Electronic Device Exposure Process FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall schematic configuration of an electronic device manufacturing apparatus used in an electronic device exposure process. As shown in FIG. 1, the manufacturing apparatus used in the exposure process includes a gas laser device 100 and an exposure device 200. As shown in FIG. Exposure apparatus 200 includes an illumination optical system 210 including a plurality of

mirrors

211 , 212 and 213 and a projection optical system 220 . The illumination optical system 210 illuminates the reticle pattern on the reticle stage RT with laser light incident from the gas laser device 100 . The projection optical system 220 reduces and projects the laser light transmitted through the reticle to form an image on a workpiece (not shown) placed on the workpiece table WT. The workpiece is a photosensitive substrate, such as a semiconductor wafer, to which photoresist is applied. The exposure apparatus 200 synchronously translates the reticle stage RT and the workpiece table WT to expose the workpiece to laser light reflecting the reticle pattern. A semiconductor device, which is an electronic device, can be manufactured by transferring a device pattern onto a semiconductor wafer through the exposure process as described above.

2. 2. Description of Gas Laser Apparatus of Comparative Example 2.1 Configuration A gas laser apparatus 100 of a comparative example will be described. It should be noted that the comparative example of the present disclosure is a form that the applicant recognizes as being known only by the applicant, and is not a known example that the applicant self-admits.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the gas laser device 100 of this example. Gas laser device 100 is, for example, an ArF excimer laser device that uses a mixed gas containing argon (Ar), fluorine ₍ F2), and neon (Ne). In this case, the gas laser device 100 outputs pulsed laser light with a center wavelength of approximately 193 nm. The gas laser device 100 may be a gas laser device other than an ArF excimer laser device, for example, a KrF excimer laser device using a mixed gas containing krypton (Kr), F ₂ and Ne. In this case, the gas laser device 100 emits pulsed laser light with a central wavelength of about 248 nm. A mixed gas containing Ar, F ₂ and Ne as laser media and a mixed gas containing Kr, F ₂ and Ne as laser media are sometimes called laser gas. Helium (He) may be used instead of Ne in the mixed gas used in each of the ArF excimer laser device and the KrF excimer laser device.

The gas laser device 100 of this example mainly includes a housing 110, a laser oscillator 130, a monitor module 150, a laser gas supply device 170, a laser gas exhaust device 180, and a laser processor 190 arranged in the internal space of the housing 110. Including as configuration.

The laser oscillator 130 includes a chamber device CH, a charger 141, a pulse power module 143, a rear mirror 145, and an output coupling mirror 147 as main components.

FIG. 2 shows the internal configuration of the chamber device CH as seen from a direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction of the laser light. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber device CH shown in FIG. 2 perpendicular to the traveling direction of the laser light. The chamber device CH includes a housing 30,

windows

31a and 31b,

electrodes

32a and 32b, an insulating portion 33, an electrode holder portion 36,

guides

39A, 39B and 39C, a dielectric pipe 42, and an inner electrode 43. , an outer electrode 44 , a cross-flow fan 46 , a heat exchanger 47 and a pressure sensor 48 as main components.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 30 includes an internal space in which light is generated by excitation of the laser gas. A laser gas is supplied from a laser gas supply device 170 to the internal space of the housing 30 through a pipe. The light generated by excitation of the laser gas travels to

windows

31a and 31b.

The window 31a is located on one end side of the housing 30 in the traveling direction of the laser light, and the window 31b is located on the other end side of the housing 30 in the traveling direction of the laser light. The

windows

31a and 31b are tilted at a Brewster angle with respect to the traveling direction of the laser light so as to suppress the reflection of the P-polarized light of the laser light. The window 31a is fitted into the hole of the housing 30, and the window 31b is fitted into the hole on the opposite side of the window 31a.

The longitudinal direction of the

electrodes

32a and 32b is along the traveling direction of the laser beam, and the

electrodes

32a and 32b are arranged in the internal space of the housing 30 so as to face each other. A space between the

electrodes

32a and 32b in the housing 30 is sandwiched between

windows

31a and 31b. The

electrodes

32a and 32b are main discharge electrodes for exciting the laser medium by glow discharge. In this example, electrode 32a is the cathode and electrode 32b is the anode.

As shown in FIG. 3, the electrode 32a is supported by the insulating portion 33. As shown in FIG. The insulating portion 33 closes the opening that continues to the housing 30 . The insulating portion 33 includes an insulator. Examples of insulators include alumina ceramics, which have low reactivity with F ₂ gas. The width of the cross section of the portion of the insulating portion 33 that supports the electrode 32a narrows toward the electrode 32b facing the electrode 32a. Thereby, the insulating part 33 guides the laser gas in the housing 30 so that the laser gas in the housing 30 flows between the

electrodes

32 a and 32 b from the cross flow fan 46 side by the cross flow fan 46 . In FIG. 3, the flow of the laser gas in the internal space of the housing 30 is indicated by thick arrows. The laser gas circulates through the cross-flow fan 46, between the

electrodes

32a and 32b, the heat exchanger 47, and the cross-flow fan 46 in this order. A feedthrough 34 made of a conductive member is embedded in the insulating portion 33 . The feedthrough 34 applies the voltage supplied from the pulse power module 143 to the electrode 32a.

The electrode 32 b is supported by the electrode holder portion 36 and electrically connected to the electrode holder portion 36 . The electrode holder portion 36 is electrically connected to the housing 30 via wiring 37 .

Guides

39A, 39B, and 39C are provided on the electrode holder portion 36 . Materials for _each of the

guides

39A, 39B, and 39C include, for example, porous nickel metal, which has low reactivity with F2 gas. The electrode 32b is fixed on the electrode holder portion 36 by being sandwiched between the

guides

39A and 39B.

The dielectric pipe 42, the inner electrode 43, and the outer electrode 44 are arranged along the traveling direction of the laser light. The shape of the dielectric pipe 42 is, for example, cylindrical. The dielectric pipe 42 is made of a dielectric such as aluminum oxide. The inner electrode 43 is rod-shaped and arranged along the dielectric pipe 42 inside the through hole of the dielectric pipe 42 . As shown in FIG. 2, fixed

pipes

42a and 42b are connected to both ends of the dielectric pipe 42. As shown in FIG. A wiring (not shown) connected to one end of the inner electrode 43 is arranged in the through hole of one fixed pipe 42a. A wiring (not shown) connected to the other end of the inner electrode 43 is arranged in the through hole of the other fixed pipe 42b. These wirings are connected to feedthroughs 34 . Therefore, the feedthrough 34 applies the voltage supplied from the pulse power module 143 to the inner electrode 43 as described above.

One end of the outer electrode 44 is in contact with part of the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric pipe 42 . Also, the other end of the outer electrode 44 is electrically connected to the electrode holder portion 36 . Therefore, the outer electrode 44 is electrically connected to the electrode 32 b via the electrode holder portion 36 and electrically connected to the housing 30 via the electrode holder portion 36 and the wiring 37 . The outer electrode 44 is bent between one end and the other end, and the bent portion is bent in the in-plane direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the dielectric pipe 42 . Also, due to the bending, one end of the outer electrode 44 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric pipe 42 so as to press the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric pipe 42 . The outer electrode 44 is made of brass, for example.

A screw hole (not shown) is provided at the other end of the outer electrode 44, and the outer electrode 44 is fixed to the guide 39B by a screw 45 screwed into the screw hole. In this state, one end of the outer electrode 44 is pressed against and contacts the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric pipe 42 . A portion of the outer peripheral surface of the dielectric pipe 42 substantially opposite to the contact portion with which one end of the outer electrode 44 contacts is in contact with the guide 39C. Therefore, even if the outer electrode 44 presses the dielectric pipe 42, the dielectric pipe 42 is supported by the guide 39C.

The inner electrode 43 and the outer electrode 44 face each other with the dielectric pipe 42 interposed therebetween. A corona discharge is generated near the dielectric pipe 42 and the outer electrode 44 by applying a high voltage from the pulse power module 143 to the inner electrode 43 and the outer electrode 44 . This corona discharge assists the glow discharge that occurs between the

electrodes

32a, 32b. Therefore, the inner electrode 43 and the outer electrode 44 are preionization electrodes that assist the glow discharge caused by the

electrodes

32a and 32b.

A cross-flow fan 46 is arranged in the internal space of the housing 30 on the side opposite to the electrode 32b side with respect to the electrode holder portion 36 . In the internal space of the housing 30, the space in which the cross-flow fan 46 is arranged communicates with the space between the

electrodes

32a and 32b. Therefore, by rotating the cross-flow fan 46, the laser gas enclosed in the internal space of the housing 30 circulates in a predetermined direction as indicated by the thick arrow in FIG. The cross-flow fan 46 is connected to a motor 46 a arranged outside the housing 30 . When the motor 46a rotates, the cross flow fan 46 rotates. The ON/OFF and rotation speed of the motor 46a are adjusted under the control of the laser processor 190. FIG. Therefore, the laser processor 190 can adjust the circulation speed of the laser gas circulating in the internal space of the housing 30 by controlling the motor 46a.

A heat exchanger 47 is arranged beside the cross flow fan 46 . At least part of the laser gas circulated by the cross-flow fan 46 passes through the heat exchanger 47, and the heat exchanger 47 adjusts the temperature of the laser gas.

Returning to FIG. 2, the description of the gas laser device 100 of this example is continued. The charger 141 is a DC power supply device that charges a capacitor (not shown) provided in the pulse power module 143 with a predetermined voltage. The charger 141 is arranged outside the housing 30 and connected to the pulse power module 143 . Pulse power module 143 includes a switch 143 a controlled by laser processor 190 . When the switch 143a is turned on from off under the control of the laser processor 190, the pulse power module 143 boosts the voltage applied from the charger 141 to generate a pulse-like high voltage, and applies this high voltage to the

electrodes

32a and 32b. applied to When a high voltage is applied, the insulation between the

electrodes

32a and 32b is broken and discharge occurs. The energy of this discharge excites the laser medium in the housing 30 to shift to a high energy level. When the excited laser medium then shifts to a lower energy level, it emits light corresponding to the energy level difference. The emitted light travels to

windows

31a, 31b.

The rear mirror 145 faces the window 31a, and the output coupling mirror 147 faces the window 31b. The rear mirror 145 is coated with a highly reflective film, and the output coupling mirror 147 is coated with a partially reflective film. The rear mirror 145 reflects the laser beam emitted from the window 31 a with high reflectance and returns it to the housing 30 . The output coupling mirror 147 transmits part of the laser light output from the window 31b, reflects another part, and returns it to the internal space of the housing 30 via the window 31b. The output coupling mirror 147 is composed of, for example, an element in which a dielectric multilayer film is formed on a calcium fluoride substrate.

Therefore, the rear mirror 145 and the output coupling mirror 147 constitute a Fabry-Perot laser resonator, and the housing 30 is arranged on the optical path of the laser resonator. The laser light emitted from housing 30 reciprocates between rear mirror 145 and output coupling mirror 147 . The reciprocating laser light is amplified each time it passes through the laser gain space between the

electrodes

32a and 32b. Part of the amplified light passes through the output coupling mirror 147 as pulsed laser light.

The rear mirror 145 is fixed in the internal space of a housing 145a connected to one end of the housing 30 via a damper (not shown). Also, the output coupling mirror 147 is fixed in the internal space of the optical path tube 147a connected to the other end side of the housing 30 via a damper (not shown).

The monitor module 150 is arranged on the optical path of the pulsed laser light that passes through the output coupling mirror 147 . The monitor module 150 includes a housing 151, a beam splitter 152, a condenser lens 153, and an optical sensor 154 as main components. The housing 151 has a continuous opening, and an optical path tube 147a is connected so as to surround the opening. Therefore, the internal space of the housing 151 communicates with the internal space of the optical path tube 147a through this opening. A beam splitter 152 , a condenser lens 153 , and an optical sensor 154 are arranged in the internal space of the housing 151 .

The beam splitter 152 allows the pulsed laser light that passes through the output coupling mirror 147 to pass through the output window 161 with high transmittance, and reflects part of the pulsed laser light toward the condenser lens 153 . Condensing lens 153 converges the pulsed laser light onto the light receiving surface of optical sensor 154 . The optical sensor 154 measures the pulse energy E, which is the measured value of the pulse energy of the pulsed laser light incident on the light receiving surface. Optical sensor 154 is electrically connected to laser processor 190 and outputs a signal to laser processor 190 indicative of the pulse energy E to be measured.

An opening is continuous on the opposite side of the housing 151 of the monitor module 150 to the side to which the optical path tube 147a is connected, and the optical path tube 161a is connected so as to surround this opening. Therefore, the internal space of the housing 151 and the internal space of the optical path tube 161a communicate with each other. Also, the optical path tube 161 a is connected to the housing 110 . An exit window 161 is provided at a position surrounded by the optical path tube 161 a in the housing 110 . Light transmitted through the beam splitter 152 of the monitor module 150 is emitted from the emission window 161 to the exposure apparatus 200 outside the housing 110 .

The

optical path tubes

147a, 161a and the internal spaces of the

housings

145a, 151 are filled with a purge gas. The purge gas contains an inert gas such as high-purity nitrogen containing few impurities such as oxygen. The purge gas is supplied from a purge gas supply source (not shown) arranged outside the housing 110 to the internal spaces of the

optical pipes

147a and 161a and the

housings

145a and 151 through pipes (not shown).

The pressure sensor 48 measures the pressure in the internal space of the housing 30. The pressure sensor 48 is electrically connected to the laser processor 190 and outputs to the laser processor 190 a signal indicative of the pressure to be measured.

The laser gas supply device 170 is supplied with laser gas through a pipe from a laser gas supply source (not shown) arranged outside the housing 110 . The laser gas supply device 170 is provided with valves and flow control valves (not shown), and is connected to other pipes connected to the housing 30 . The laser gas supply device 170 mixes a plurality of gases at a desired composition ratio to form a laser gas according to a control signal from the laser processor 190, and supplies the laser gas to the internal space of the housing 30 via another pipe. do.

A pipe connected to the housing 30 is connected to the laser gas exhaust device 180 . The laser gas evacuation device 180 includes an evacuation pump (not shown), and evacuates the gas in the internal space of the housing 30 into the internal space of the housing 110 through piping by the evacuation pump. At this time, the laser gas exhaust device 180 adjusts the exhaust amount and the like according to the control signal from the laser processor 190 and performs predetermined processing on the gas exhausted from the internal space of the housing 30 .

In addition, the housing 110 is provided with an exhaust duct 111 . The gas is exhausted to the outside of the housing 110 through the exhaust duct 111 . The gas is exhausted from the internal space of the housing 30 to the internal space of the housing 110 by the laser gas exhaust device 180, or is discharged from the

optical path tubes

147a and 161a to the internal space of the housing 110 by a configuration not shown. is the gas that is

The laser processor 190 of the present disclosure is a processing device that includes a storage device that stores control programs and a CPU that executes the control programs. Laser processor 190 is specially configured or programmed to perform various processes contained in this disclosure. Also, the laser processor 190 controls the entire gas laser device 100 . The laser processor 190 is also electrically connected to the exposure processor 290 of the exposure apparatus 200 and transmits and receives various signals to and from the exposure processor 290 .

2.2 Operation Next, the operation of the gas laser device 100 of the comparative example will be described.

Before the gas laser device 100 emits a pulsed laser beam, the internal spaces of the

optical path tubes

147a and 161a and the internal spaces of the

housings

145a and 151 are filled with a purge gas from a purge gas supply source (not shown). A laser gas is supplied from a laser gas supply device 170 to the internal space of the housing 30 . When the laser gas is supplied, the laser processor 190 controls the motor 46a to rotate the cross flow fan 46. As shown in FIG. The rotation of the cross-flow fan 46 circulates the laser gas in the internal space of the housing 30 .

When the gas laser device 100 emits pulsed laser light, the laser processor 190 receives from the exposure processor 290 a signal indicating the target pulse energy Et and a light emission trigger signal. The target pulse energy Et is a target value of pulse energy used in the exposure process. The laser processor 190 sets a predetermined charging voltage Vhv in the charger 141 so that the pulse energy becomes the target pulse energy Et, and turns on the switch 143a in synchronization with the light emission trigger signal. As a result, the pulse power module 143 generates a pulsed high voltage from the electrical energy held in the charger 141 to generate a pulsed high voltage between the

electrodes

32a and 32b and between the inner electrode 43 and the outer electrode 44. A high voltage is applied. However, the timing at which the high voltage is applied between the inner electrode 43 and the outer electrode 44 is slightly earlier than the timing at which the high voltage is applied between the

electrodes

32a and 32b. When a high voltage is applied between the inner electrode 43 and the outer electrode 44, corona discharge is generated near the dielectric pipe 42 and ultraviolet light is emitted. Further, when the ultraviolet light irradiates the laser gas between the

electrodes

32a and 32b, the laser gas between the

electrodes

32a and 32b is preionized. After the preliminary ionization, when a high voltage is applied between the

electrodes

32a and 32b, the insulation between the

electrodes

32a and 32b is broken and discharge occurs. Acoustic waves are generated by the discharge and are absorbed by the

guides

39A, 39B, 39C. The absorption suppresses the reflection of the ultrasonic waves on the

guides

39A, 39B, and 39C, and suppresses the propagation of the acoustic waves between the

electrodes

32a and 32b. As a result, unstable discharge is suppressed, and deterioration in the stability of the energy of light emitted from the gas laser device 100 is suppressed.

When a discharge occurs as described above, the laser medium contained in the laser gas between the

electrodes

32a and 32b is excited by the energy of this discharge, and emits spontaneous emission light when returning to the ground state. do. Part of this light is ultraviolet rays and passes through the window 31a. The transmitted light is reflected by rear mirror 145 . The light reflected by the rear mirror 145 propagates through the window 31a into the internal space of the housing 30 again. The light propagating in the internal space of the housing 30 causes stimulated emission in the laser medium in an excited state, thereby amplifying the light. The light passes through window 31 b and travels to output coupling mirror 147 . A portion of the light is transmitted through the output coupling mirror 147 and the remaining portion is reflected by the output coupling mirror 147, transmitted through the window 31b, and propagated into the internal space of the housing 30. FIG. Light propagating in the internal space of housing 30 travels to rear mirror 145 as described above. Thus, light of a given wavelength travels back and forth between the rear mirror 145 and the output coupling mirror 147 . The light is amplified each time it passes through the discharge space in the internal space of the housing 30, causing laser oscillation. A portion of the laser light passes through the output coupling mirror 147 as pulsed laser light and travels to the beam splitter 152 .

A portion of the pulsed laser light traveling to the beam splitter 152 is reflected by the beam splitter 152 . The reflected pulsed laser light is received by the optical sensor 154, and the optical sensor 154 measures the pulse energy E of the received pulsed laser light. Optical sensor 154 outputs a signal to laser processor 190 indicative of the pulse energy E to be measured. Laser processor 190 feedback-controls charging voltage Vhv of charger 141 so that difference ΔE between pulse energy E and target pulse energy Et is within an allowable range. When the difference ΔE falls within the allowable range, the pulsed laser light passes through the beam splitter 152 and the exit window 161 and enters the exposure apparatus 200 . This pulsed laser light is ArF laser light, which is ultraviolet light with a center wavelength of about 193 nm.

The pressure in the internal space of the housing 30 is measured by the pressure sensor 48, and a signal indicating the pressure from the pressure sensor 48 is input to the laser processor 190. When the charging voltage Vhv is higher than the maximum allowable range, the laser processor 190 controls the laser gas supply device 170 based on the signal from the pressure sensor 48 until the pressure in the internal space of the housing 30 reaches a predetermined pressure. , supplies the laser gas to the internal space of the housing 30 . Further, when the charging voltage Vhv is lower than the minimum value of the allowable range, the laser processor 190 controls the laser gas exhaust device 180 based on the signal, and discharges the laser gas into the housing 30 until the pressure reaches a predetermined pressure. Exhaust from the space.

2.3 Problems In the chamber device CH of the comparative example, the temperature in the internal space of the housing 30 may rise when light is generated by excitation of the laser gas. When the temperature rises, the temperature distribution in the internal space may become uneven. Further, when the laser gas is supplied from the laser gas supply device 170 to the internal space of the housing 30, the pressure in the internal space increases. The housing 30 may be deformed due to thermal expansion of the housing 30 due to a temperature rise, a difference in thermal expansion in the internal space of the housing 30 due to uneven temperature distribution, and an increase in pressure. If the housing 30 is deformed, the traveling direction of the laser light emitted from the housing 30 may change from the previously assumed traveling direction. Due to this change, the traveling direction of the laser light emitted from the gas laser device 100 toward the exposure device 200 may also change from the previously assumed traveling direction. Therefore, there arises a concern that the reliability of the gas laser device 100 is lowered.

Therefore, in the following embodiments, a chamber device CH capable of suppressing deterioration in reliability of the gas laser device 100 is illustrated.

3. Description of Chamber Device of Embodiment Next, the chamber device CH of the embodiment will be described. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those described above, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted unless otherwise specified. Also, in some drawings, some of the members may be omitted or simplified for clarity.

3.1 Configuration FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the gas laser device 100 of this embodiment. FIG. 4 shows the internal configuration of the chamber device CH as viewed from a direction substantially perpendicular to the traveling direction of the laser light. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the outer housing 70 surrounding the inner housing 50 and the temperature controller 93 in the chamber device CH. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber device CH shown in FIG. 4 perpendicular to the traveling direction of the laser light. In FIG. 6, as in the comparative example, the flow of the laser gas is indicated by thick arrows.

In the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the configuration of the housing of the chamber device CH is different from the configuration of the housing 30 of the comparative example. The chamber device CH of the present embodiment includes a cylindrical inner housing 50, an outer housing 70 surrounding the inner housing 50 from the outside, and the inner housing 50 and the outer housing 70 on the sides in the traveling direction of the laser light. , a temperature sensor 91, and a temperature adjuster 93 as main components.

The inner housing 50 includes an internal space in which light is generated by excitation of the laser gas, similar to the housing 30 of the comparative example. Like the internal space of the housing 30 of the comparative example, this internal space includes

electrodes

32a and 32b, an insulating portion 33, an electrode holder portion 36, guides 39A, 39B and 39C, a dielectric pipe 42, An inner electrode 43, an outer electrode 44, a cross-flow fan 46, a heat exchanger 47, and a pressure sensor 48 are arranged. Each pipe of the laser gas supply device 170 and the laser gas exhaust device 180 passes through the outer housing 70 and communicates with the internal space of the inner housing 50 . The longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 is along the traveling direction of the laser light in the inner space of the inner housing 50, and the laser light passes through the

openings

50a and 50b, which are passage holes at both ends of the cylindrical inner housing 50. . Such an inner housing 50 encloses the laser beam traveling through the internal space of the inner housing 50 .

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the outer body portion 71 of the outer housing 70 surrounding the inner housing 50 and the partition wall 80. FIG. In FIG. 7, portions of the inner housing 50 and the partition wall 80 that are surrounded by the outer body portion 71 are indicated by dashed lines.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the inner housing 50 mainly includes a rectangular bottom plate 51a elongated in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 and a pair of semicircular

curved plates

51b and 51c. include. Each of the

curved plates

51b and 51c has the same size. When looking at the bottom plate 51a and the

curved plates

51b and 51c along the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50, the

curved plates

51b and 51c are arranged symmetrically with respect to the bottom plate 51a, and bulge away from each other. is curved. In the width direction of the bottom plate 51a, the outer peripheral surface of one end of the curved plate 51b is fixed to the inner surface of one end of the bottom plate 51a, and the outer peripheral surface of one end of the curved plate 51c is fixed to the inner surface of the other end of the bottom plate 51a by brazing. In brazing, the

curved plates

51b and 51c are brazed over the entire contact portion with the bottom plate 51a. This suppresses leakage of the laser gas from the fixed portion to the outside of the inner housing 50 . Part of the other ends of the

curved plates

51b and 51c are bent toward the outside of the inner housing 50 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate 51a. The other end of each bent portion is fixed by brazing as described above, and a frame-shaped projection 53 is provided. The frame-shaped projection 53 has a rectangular shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50, and an opening 50c is provided inside the frame-shaped projection 53. As shown in FIG. The opening 50 c has a rectangular shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 and is closed by the insulating portion 33 . Outside the projection 53 in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50, the remaining portions of the other ends of the bent

curved plates

51b and 51c are bent so as to face the bottom plate 51a, and the remaining portions are fixed to each other by brazing. be.

The plate thickness of the bottom plate 51a is thicker than the plate thickness of the

curved plates

51b and 51c, which are plates other than the bottom plate 51a in the inner housing 50. As shown in FIG. For example, the plate thickness of the bottom plate 51a is 5 mm or more and 7 mm or less, and the plate thickness of the

curved plates

51b and 51c is 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less. Thus, the plate thickness of the inner housing 50 is 1 mm or more and 7 mm or less. When the bottom plate 51a, which is a flat plate, is thicker than the

curved plates

51b and 51c, the strength of the bottom plate 51a is higher than when the bottom plate 51a has the same thickness as the

curved plates

51b and 51c. Further, when the bottom plate 51a is a flat plate, the volume of the chamber device CH is smaller than when the bottom plate 51a is a curved plate that swells in a direction away from the central axis of the inner housing 50 . When the volume is reduced, the consumption of laser gas from the laser gas supply device 170 is reduced, and the entire gas laser device 100 is made compact. Examples of the material of the inner housing 50 include nickel alloy, ferritic stainless steel, and duplex stainless steel. For example, a nickel alloy is Monel, which has a coefficient of linear expansion of 13.9×10 ⁻⁶ /°C. For example, ferritic stainless steel is SUS430, and the coefficient of linear expansion of SUS430 is 10.4×10 ^-6 /°C. Further, for example, the duplex stainless steel is SUS329J4L, and the coefficient of linear expansion of SUS329J4L is 13.0×10 ⁻⁶ /°C.

As shown in FIG. 6, cooling fins 57 are fixed to a part of the inner peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 by brazing. In brazing, the cooling fins 57 are brazed over the entire contact portion with the inner peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 . FIG. 6 shows an example in which the cooling fins 57 are fixed to the surface of the bottom plate 51a and the inner peripheral surface of the curved plate 51b. The cooling fins 57 are arranged downstream of the space between the

electrodes

32 a and 32 b in the traveling direction of the laser gas circulating in the internal space of the inner housing 50 by the cross flow fan 46 . The cooling fins 57 are arranged on the side of the traveling path of the laser light in the inner space of the inner housing 50 and do not block the laser light. Heat in the internal space of the inner housing 50 is radiated to the outside of the inner housing 50 via the cooling fins 57 . The cooling fins 57 are omitted in the drawings other than FIG. 6 and FIG. 8 to be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the outer housing 70 surrounds the inner housing 50 from the side, front, and rear in the traveling direction of the laser light. Such an outer housing 70 includes an outer body portion 71, a lid plate 73, a front plate 75, and a rear plate 77 as main components.

The outer body portion 71 is a plate that encloses the inner housing 50 from the side and includes an opening 70c on the side. The cross section of the outer main body portion 71 is, for example, U-shaped, and the outer main body portion 71 is arranged to face the bottom plate 51a, the

curved plates

51b and 51c, and the projections 53 of the inner housing 50 on the sides thereof. be done. The outer main body portion 71 has approximately the same length as the inner housing 50 , and the longitudinal direction of the outer main body portion 71 is along the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 .

The cover plates 73 are arranged at both ends of the outer body portion 71 and the openings 70c at both ends, and cover the openings 70c side of the outer body portion 71 . The cover plate 73 continues with an opening 73c into which the protrusion 53 of the inner housing 50 is fitted. Further, the cover plate 73 is provided with a groove continuous with the upper surface of the cover plate 73 . The groove is provided around the opening 73 c and has a rectangular shape elongated in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 . A sealing member 79 for sealing between the cover plate 73 and the insulating portion 33 is arranged in the groove. The sealing member 79 is, for example, a metal seal.

The lid plate 73 also includes a protruding portion 73a that protrudes outward from the side surface of the outer main body portion 71 in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the outer main body portion 71 . The side surface is a surface facing the

curved plates

51b and 51c of the outer body portion 71 in the width direction of the bottom plate 51a of the inner housing 50 . The protrusions 73a are provided on both end sides of the cover plate 73 in the orthogonal direction. Each protruding portion 73a is bent toward the side surface of the outer body portion 71 with respect to the cover plate 73 so as to surround the side surface. The bending angle of the projecting portion 73a in this case is, for example, 25° or more and 35° or less. Moreover, the length of the projecting portion 73a is, for example, 100 mm or more and 150 mm or less. This length is the length from the bent portion of the projecting portion 73a to the farthest end from the bent portion, not the length between the side surface of the outer body portion 71 and the end. Although FIG. 6 shows an example in which the bent portion is located on the side of the side surface, the bent portion may be located on the edge of the side surface.

The in-plane direction of the planar region of the cover plate 73 excluding the projecting portion 73a is parallel to the in-plane direction of the bottom plate 51a, and the projecting portion 73a is located outside the side surface of the outer body portion 71 along the in-plane direction. may protrude toward Alternatively, the projecting portion 73 a may be bent to the side opposite to the side surface of the outer main body portion 71 . The length of the protruding portion 73a is the shortest when it is bent toward the side surface of the outer body portion 71, and when it is bent toward the side surface of the outer body portion 71, it is bent toward the side opposite to the side surface of the outer body portion 71. , and the case of protruding along the in-plane direction.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the front panel 75 includes an opening 50 a at one end of the inner housing 50 , a peripheral portion of the opening 50 a , and one end of the outer housing 70 in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 and the outer main body 71 . are positioned at the openings at the sides and at the perimeter of the openings. The front plate 75 is continuous with an opening 75a. The opening 75a has approximately the same size and shape as the opening 50a of the inner housing 50, and overlaps the opening 50a when the front panel 75 is attached to one end of the inner housing 50 and one end of the outer main body 71. An output-side holder (not shown) that holds the output coupling mirror 147 is attached to the front plate 75 . The output side holder is attached to the front plate 75 so that the output coupling mirror 147 faces the opening 50a.

In the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 and the outer main body 71, the rear plate 77 includes the opening 50b at the other end of the inner housing 50 and the peripheral edge of the opening 50b, and the opening and the opening at the other end of the outer housing 70. is located at the periphery of the An opening (not shown) continues to the rear plate 77 . The opening has approximately the same size and shape as the opening 50b of the inner housing 50, and overlaps the opening 50b when the rear plate 77 is attached to the other end side of the inner housing 50 and the other end side of the outer body portion 71. A rear-side holder (not shown) that holds the rear mirror 145 is attached to the rear plate 77 . The rear holder is attached to the rear plate 77 so that the rear mirror 145 faces the opening 50b of the inner housing 50. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the housing 145a may be unnecessary in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment.

Since the partition wall 80 is provided in the outer housing 70 , the strength of the outer housing 70 may be lower than the strength of the inner housing 50 . Therefore, the plate thickness of each of the outer body portion 71 , the lid plate 73 , the front plate 75 , and the rear plate 77 may be made thinner than the plate thickness of the inner housing 50 . When each plate thickness is thin, the weight of CH of the chamber device is smaller than when each plate thickness is the same as or thicker than the plate thickness of the inner housing 50 . The thickness of each of the outer main body portion 71, the lid plate 73, the front plate 75, and the rear plate 77 is, for example, 1 mm or more and 3 mm or less. The material of the outer body portion 71 , the lid plate 73 , the front plate 75 , and the rear plate 77 can be, for example, a nickel alloy, like the inner casing 50 .

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, there are a plurality of partition walls 80, and each partition wall 80 is a support member that supports the inner casing 50, the outer body portion 71, and the cover plate 73 excluding the projecting portion 73a. The partition wall 80 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer housing 70 by brazing. In the brazing, the partition wall 80 is brazed at each of the entire contact portion with the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 and the entire contact portion with the inner peripheral surface of the outer housing 70 . The inner peripheral surface of the outer casing 70 is the inner peripheral surface of the outer main body portion 71 and the rear surface of the cover plate 73 excluding the projecting portion 73a.

The respective partition walls 80 are arranged in parallel with each other in the longitudinal direction of the inner casing 50 with a predetermined interval in a state in which the in-plane direction of the partition walls 80 is arranged along a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inner casing 50 . are placed in Therefore, the surface of a certain partition wall 80 among the plurality of partition walls 80 faces the rear surface of the partition wall 80 adjacent to the partition wall 80, and the adjacent partition walls 80 are arranged with a gap therebetween. The partition 80 is a wall that partitions the gap between the inner housing 50 and the outer main body portion 71 in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 and partitions the gap into front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 . be. Further, gaps are also provided between the front plate 75 and the partition walls 80 adjacent to the front plate 75 and between the rear plate 77 and the partition walls 80 adjacent to the rear plate 77 . Although FIG. 7 shows an example in which 11 partition walls 80 are arranged, at least one partition wall 80 may be arranged.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the cooling fins 57 and the partition wall 80. FIG. As shown in FIG. 8 , a plurality of cooling fins 57 are arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 . Each of the cooling fins 57 is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 with the in-plane direction of the cooling fins 57 arranged along the direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50, similarly to the partition wall 80 . are arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals. Also, the partition walls 80 and the cooling fins 57 are alternately arranged along the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 . Preferably, the cooling fins 57 are arranged approximately midway between the partition walls 80 adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 . Therefore, the length between adjacent partition walls 80 is approximately the same as the length between adjacent cooling fins 57 . In addition, when the length between them is the same, the cooling fins 57 do not have to be arranged substantially in the middle of the adjacent partition walls 80 . Although FIG. 8 shows an example in which a plurality of cooling fins 57 are arranged, one cooling fin 57 may or may not be arranged. Also, a plurality of cooling fins 57 may be arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner housing 50 . In this case, adjacent cooling fins 57 may be arranged apart from each other, or may be arranged in contact with each other.

The temperature sensor 91 measures the temperature of the internal space of the inner housing 50 . The temperature adjuster 93 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 supplies a cooling medium to the gap between the inner housing 50 and the outer main body 71 using a pump (not shown) of the temperature adjuster 93, and the cooling medium cools the inner housing. 50 is a chiller. Temperature sensor 91 and temperature controller 93 are electrically connected to laser processor 190 . The temperature sensor 91 outputs a signal indicating the temperature of the internal space of the inner housing 50 to the laser processor 190, and the laser processor 190 outputs a signal indicating the temperature of the cooling medium to the temperature controller 93 based on the signal. The cooling medium is liquid, but it can also be gas. A temperature controller 93 adjusts the temperature of the cooling medium based on the signal from the laser processor 190 . The set temperature of the cooling medium is, for example, 20° C. or higher and 70° C. or lower, and the temperature range of the cooling medium flowing through the flow path is preferably ±3° C. of the set temperature.

The temperature adjuster 93 is connected to a pipe 93a connected to an inlet 75d provided on the front plate 75 and a pipe 93b connected to an outlet 77d provided to the rear plate 77. The outflow port 77d is hidden and not shown in FIG. 5, but is shown in FIG. The temperature adjuster 93 circulates the cooling medium through the temperature adjuster 93, the pipe 93a, the gap between the inner housing 50 and the outer body portion 71, the pipe 93b, and the temperature adjuster 93 in this order. Note that the temperature controller 93 may circulate the cooling medium in the opposite direction to the above. The flow path of the cooling medium flowing through the gap between the inner housing 50 and the outer main body 71 is the gap between the front plate 75 and the partition wall 80 adjacent to the front plate 75, and the gap between the partition walls 80 adjacent to the front plate 75. and a gap between the rear plate 77 and the partition wall 80 adjacent to the rear plate 77 . Each gap between adjacent partition walls 80 is surrounded by the partition walls 80 , the

curved plates

51 b and 51 c , the projections 53 , the outer body portion 71 and the cover plate 73 .

As shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, the chamber device CH is provided at the same position as the partition wall 80 in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50, and is adjacent to one of the adjacent gaps. The other mating gap further includes a passage 80a through which a cooling medium flows. 7 and 8 show an example in which the passage 80a is an opening provided in the partition wall 80. As shown in FIG. Passage 80a is part of the flow path. From the front plate 75 side to the rear plate 77 side, the cooling medium passes through the passage 80a from the gap on the front plate 75 side and flows into the gap on the rear plate 77 side adjacent to the gap. When viewed along the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 , the passage 80 a of one of the adjacent partitions 80 is provided at a position that does not overlap the passage 80 a of the other partition 80 . Therefore, at least a portion of the passage 80a of one partition 80 is positioned offset from the passage 80a of the other partition 80 in the circumferential direction of the inner housing 50. As shown in FIG. 7 and 8, when viewed along the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50, the passage 80a of one of the partitions 80 is defined by the non-circulation area of the other of the partitions 80, where the cooling medium does not flow in the gap. An example provided on the side opposite to the passage 80a is shown. The non-flow area is an area between the projections 53 of the

curved plates

51b and 51c in the in-plane direction of the bottom plate 51a. When viewed along the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50, for example, the cooling medium flows clockwise in the circumferential direction of the inner housing 50 through the gap on the front plate 75 side, and flows in the rear plate 77 side adjacent to the gap. It flows counterclockwise in the circumferential direction through the gap. Therefore, the cooling medium flows in opposite directions in each of the adjacent gaps. The flow of the cooling medium in each gap is illustrated by dashed arrows in FIG. In FIG. 7, one of each flow is illustrated for ease of viewing. In the flow path, as described above, the partition wall 80 is brazed at the entire contact portion with the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 and the entire contact portion with the inner peripheral surface of the outer housing 70 . Therefore, leakage of the cooling medium from the contact portion is suppressed, and the cooling medium flows from one of the adjacent gaps to the other through the passage 80a.

3.2 Functions and Effects The chamber device CH of the present embodiment includes an inner housing 50 including

openings

50a and 50b, which are passage ports through which light generated by excitation of a laser gas passes, An outer housing 70 surrounding the housing 50 and a partition wall 80 arranged between the inner housing 50 and the outer housing 70 and fixed to the inner housing 50 and the outer housing 70 are provided.

Inside the chamber device CH, the temperature in the inner space of the inner housing 50 may rise when light is generated by excitation of the laser gas. When the temperature rises, the temperature distribution in the internal space may become uneven. Further, when the laser gas is supplied from the laser gas supply device 170 to the internal space of the inner housing 50, the pressure in the internal space increases. The inner housing 50 tries to deform due to thermal expansion of the inner housing 50 due to temperature rise, thermal expansion difference in the internal space of the inner housing 50 due to uneven temperature distribution, and pressure increase. However, in the chamber device CH of this embodiment, the deformation of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed by the partition wall 80 fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 and the outer housing 70 to which the partition wall 80 is fixed. For example, even if the inner housing 50 tries to expand due to thermal expansion and pressure rise, the expansion of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed by the partition wall 80 and the outer housing 70 . Moreover, even if the inner housing 50 tries to deform so as to shrink, the shrinkage of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed by the partition wall 80 and the outer housing 70 . When the deformation of the inner housing 50 is suppressed in this way, the traveling direction of the laser light emitted from the inner housing 50 can be suppressed from changing from the previously assumed traveling direction. If the change is suppressed, the traveling direction of the light emitted from the gas laser device 100 toward the exposure device 200 can be suppressed from changing from the previously assumed traveling direction. Therefore, deterioration in reliability of the gas laser device 100 can be suppressed.

In addition, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, since the partition wall 80 and the outer housing 70 suppress deformation of the inner housing 50, the deformation of the inner housing 50 is reduced compared to the state where the partition wall 80 and the outer housing 70 are not provided. thickness can be reduced. Therefore, even if the partition wall 80 and the outer housing 70 are arranged, the weight of the chamber device CH can be reduced, and the handling of the chamber device CH can be facilitated. Further, in order to suppress deformation of the inner housing 50 in a state where the partition wall 80 and the outer housing 70 are not provided, it is necessary to increase the rigidity of the inner housing 50 . In order to increase the rigidity, it is necessary to increase the plate thickness of the inner housing 50 . In the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, since the partition wall 80 and the outer housing 70 suppress deformation of the inner housing 50, it may not be necessary to increase the plate thickness of the inner housing 50. FIG. Moreover, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the rigidity of the chamber device CH can be increased by the partition wall 80 and the outer housing 70 .

Also, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, there are a plurality of partition walls 80 . In this case, the deformation of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed and the rigidity of the chamber device CH can be increased compared to the case where there is only one partition wall 80 .

In addition, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the cover plate 73 includes a protruding portion 73a that protrudes outward from the side surface of the outer main body portion 71 . When the projecting portion 73a is provided, the rigidity of the cover plate 73 is increased by the amount of the projecting portion 73a provided, compared to the case where the projecting portion 73a is not provided. Therefore, even if the inner housing 50 tries to deform, the lid plate 73 suppresses deformation of the inner housing 50 , and deformation of the lid plate 73 due to deformation of the inner housing 50 can also be suppressed. In addition, since the rigidity of the lid plate 73 increases as described above, deformation of the lid plate 73 can be suppressed compared to the case where the protrusion 73a is not provided, and the plate thickness of the lid plate 73 including the protrusion 73a is thin. can be. Therefore, even if the projecting portion 73a is provided, the weight of the chamber device CH can be reduced, and the handling of the chamber device CH can be facilitated.

Further, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the protruding portion 73a is bent toward the side surface of the outer main body portion 71 with respect to the cover plate 73 . In this case, if the cover plate 73 has the same rigidity in each case as compared with the case where the projecting portion 73a is bent away from the side surface of the outer body portion 71, the projecting portion 73a can be shortened. Therefore, the weight of the chamber device CH can be reduced.

Further, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the cooling fins 57 are arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the inner housing 50, and the heat in the internal space of the inner housing 50 is dissipated through the cooling fins 57, the inner housing 50, and the partition wall. 80 and the outer housing 70 to the outside of the outer housing 70 . In the case where the cooling fins 57 are arranged, the amount of heat dissipation is increased compared to the case where the cooling fins 57 are not arranged, and the temperature rise of the inner housing 50 and the deviation of the temperature distribution in the inner space of the inner housing 50 are suppressed. and deformation of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed.

Also, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, there are a plurality of cooling fins 57 . In this case, the amount of heat released increases compared to the case where the number of cooling fins 57 is one. When the amount of heat released increases, the temperature rise of the inner housing 50 and the uneven temperature distribution in the internal space of the inner housing 50 can be further suppressed, and the deformation of the inner housing 50 can be further suppressed.

In addition, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the partition walls 80 and the cooling fins 57 are arranged alternately along the light traveling direction. The rigidity of the inner housing 50 between the adjacent partitions 80 is lower than the rigidity of the inner housing 50 at the portion where the partitions 80 are located because the partitions 80 are not arranged. When the partition walls 80 and the cooling fins 57 are arranged alternately as described above, the distance between the adjacent partition walls 80 is greater than when the partition walls 80 are arranged adjacent to the cooling fins 57 via the inner housing 50 . The rigidity of the inner housing 50 is increased due to the arrangement of the cooling fins 57 . Therefore, deformation of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed compared to the case where the partition wall 80 is arranged adjacent to the cooling fins 57 via the inner housing 50 . The cooling fins 57 may be arranged at the same position as the partition wall 80 , that is, adjacent to the partition wall 80 with the inner housing 50 interposed therebetween.

Also, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the cooling fins 57 are arranged between the adjacent partition walls 80 . In this case, the change in the strength distribution of the inner housing 50 in the longitudinal direction of the inner housing 50 is suppressed as compared with the case where the cooling fins 57 are arranged unevenly on one of the partition walls 80 between the adjacent partition walls 80. and deformation of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed. The length between adjacent partition walls 80 may be different from the length between adjacent cooling fins 57 .

In addition, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the adjacent gaps partitioned by the partition wall 80 between the inner housing 50 and the outer housing 70 are channels through which the cooling medium flows. When the cooling medium flows through the gap, the cooling medium comes into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 and directly cools the inner housing 50 . When the cooling medium cools the inner housing 50, the temperature rise of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed, and the deformation of the inner housing 50 can be suppressed.

In addition, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the channel is provided outside the inner housing 50 . In this case, compared with the case where the flow path is provided inside the inner housing 50, the flow path resistance in the circulation path of the laser gas in the internal space of the inner housing 50 is reduced, and the output of the motor 46a of the cross flow fan 46 is reduced. can.

Also, when the cooling medium cools the inner housing 50, the heat capacity of the heat exchanger 47 may be reduced, or the heat exchanger 47 may be unnecessary, compared to when the cooling medium does not cool the inner housing 50. Therefore, the weight of the chamber device CH can be reduced. Even if the cooling fins 57 are arranged, the capacity of the heat exchanger 47 may be reduced, or the heat exchanger 47 may be unnecessary. Also, the temperature adjuster 93 may not be arranged, and the cooling medium may not flow through the gap.

In addition, the chamber device CH of the present embodiment includes a passage 80a provided at the same position as the partition wall 80 in the traveling direction of the laser beam, and through which the cooling medium flows from one of the adjacent gaps to the other gap. In order for the cooling medium to flow through the respective gaps when the passage 80a is not provided, it is necessary to connect pipes to the respective gaps. However, provision of the passages 80a eliminates the need to connect pipes to the respective gaps, and the weight of the chamber device CH can be reduced. In addition, since the front plate 75 is provided with the inlet 75d and the rear plate 77 is provided with the outlet 77d, the cooling medium can circulate through the flow path by flowing through the respective gaps.

The passages 80a may not be provided in the respective partition walls 80, and pipes may be connected to the respective gaps so that the cooling medium flows through the respective gaps. When the cooling medium circulates as described above, the temperature of the cooling medium rises due to the heat from the inner housing 50 in the course of the cooling medium flowing from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the cooling medium flows through the inner housing 50 more than expected. may not cool down. However, when the cooling medium flows through the respective gaps, compared with the case where the cooling medium circulates as described above, the change in the temperature of the cooling medium can be suppressed, the inner housing 50 can be cooled, and the inner housing can be cooled. 50 deformation can be suppressed.

The passages 80a do not have to be arranged in all the partition walls 80. For example, if the passage 80a is not provided in the fifth partition wall 80 from the front plate 75 side, the first to fifth gaps from the front plate 75 side form one flow path, and the sixth to twelfth gaps from the front plate 75 side become one channel. is a flow path different from the flow path described above. In this case, a pipe may be connected to each flow path, and the cooling medium may flow through each flow path. Also, one partition 80 may be provided with a plurality of passages 80a.

In addition, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the passage 80a of one partition 80 of the adjacent partitions 80 is positioned so as not to overlap the passage 80a of the other partition 80 when viewed along the traveling direction of light. be provided. This allows the cooling medium to flow in opposite directions in each of the adjacent gaps.

In addition, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the outer housing 70 includes a plate that surrounds the surface of the inner housing 50 that includes the passage opening, and the plate faces the passage opening and at least part of the laser beam A mirror is placed to reflect the If the passage is aperture 50 a , the plate is front plate 75 and the mirror is output coupling mirror 147 . An output coupling mirror 147 is arranged on the front plate 75 so as to face the opening 50a via an output side holder. Even if the front plate 75 is arranged in the inner housing 50, the deformation of the inner housing 50 is suppressed as described above, so that the displacement of the front plate 75 including the output coupling mirror 147 can be suppressed. If the front plate 75 including the output coupling mirror 147 is displaced, the traveling direction of the laser light passing through the output coupling mirror 147 may change from the expected traveling direction. However, when the displacement of the front plate 75 is suppressed as described above, the traveling direction of the laser light passing through the output coupling mirror 147 can be suppressed from changing from the previously assumed traveling direction. If the change is suppressed, the traveling direction of the light emitted from the gas laser device 100 toward the exposure device 200 can be suppressed from changing from the previously assumed traveling direction. Therefore, deterioration in reliability of the gas laser device 100 can be suppressed. Further, when the output coupling mirror 147 is arranged on the front plate 75, the damper in the optical path tube 147a described in the gas laser device 100 of the comparative example may be unnecessary. Therefore, the weight of the chamber device CH can be reduced. Also, if the housing 151 of the monitor module 150 is connected to the front plate 75, the optical path tube 147a can be eliminated, and the weight of the chamber device CH can be reduced.

Further, when the passage port is the opening 50b, the plate is the rear plate 77 and the mirror is the rear mirror 145. A rear mirror 145 is arranged on the rear plate 77 so as to face the opening 50b via a rear holder. Also in this case, similarly to the front plate 75, the displacement of the rear plate 77 including the rear mirror 145 can be suppressed, and the deterioration of the reliability of the gas laser device 100 can be suppressed. Further, when the rear mirror 145 is arranged on the rear plate 77, the case 145a and the damper described in the gas laser device 100 of the comparative example may be unnecessary. Therefore, the weight of the chamber device CH can be reduced.

Further, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the cover plate 73 is provided with the insulating portion 33 and a sealing member 79 for sealing between the cover plate 73 and the insulating portion 33 . In this case, intrusion of impurities such as oxygen from the outside of the outer housing 70 into the inside of the outer housing 70 can be suppressed, and the number of times the laser gas is replaced can be reduced, compared to the case where the sealing member 79 is not arranged. Moreover, in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, the material of the lid plate 73 is a nickel alloy, and the sealing member 79 is a metal seal. The linear expansion coefficient of alumina ceramics of the insulating portion 33 is, for example, 7.2×10 ⁻⁶ /°C. Further, for example, the nickel alloy is Monel, and the coefficient of linear expansion between Monel and alumina ceramics can be smaller than those other than Monel, SUS430, and SUS329J4L. can be suppressed. If the positional displacement is suppressed, a metal seal that is likely to cause gas laser leakage due to the positional displacement but has high sealing performance can be used as the sealing member 79 . When a metal seal is used, the reliability of sealing is further improved compared to the case where a sealing member other than a metal seal is used.

Although the passage 80a is an opening in the chamber device CH of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to be limited to this. For example, a portion of the partition wall 80 is disposed away from at least one of the inner housing 50 and the outer housing 70, and the passage 80a is a gap between the portion and at least one of the inner housing 50 and the outer housing 70. may be As such a passage 80a, for example, a part of the partition wall 80 is arranged apart from the other end side of the curved plate 51b and the protrusion 53 on the curved plate 51b side, and the other end side of the curved plate 51b, the protrusion 53 and the partition wall 80 and the cover plate 73 . Note that the gap may be provided on the side of the curved plate 51c. Alternatively, the passage 80a may be formed by a notch provided in the partition wall 80 and a cover plate 73 that closes the opening in the notch. Outer housing 70 may surround at least a portion of inner housing 50 . The outer housing 70 may surround the inner housing 50 at least from the sides in the traveling direction of the laser light. The outer body portion 71 may be longer or shorter than the inner housing 50 . The cooling fins 57 may be fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the inner housing 50, and the partition wall 80 may be fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 and the inner peripheral surface of the outer housing 70 by welding. The member arranged between the inner housing 50 and the outer housing 70 and fixed to each does not need to be limited to the partition wall 80 . The members only need to support the inner housing 50, the outer main body portion 71, and the cover plate 73 excluding the protruding portion 73a. A rod-shaped member that There are a plurality of rod-shaped members, which extend from the outer peripheral surface of the inner housing 50 to the inner peripheral surface of the outer main body portion 71 and the rear surface of the cover plate 73 excluding the projecting portion 73a with the central axis of the inner housing 50 as a reference, like spokes. may radiate toward Also, a plurality of partition walls 80 may be arranged along the circumferential direction of the inner housing 50 . In this case, adjacent partition walls may be arranged apart from each other, or may be arranged in contact with each other. The cooling fins 57 may be arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the outer housing 70 . A temperature sensor may be provided in the flow path of the cooling medium. A temperature sensor measures the temperature of the cooling medium flowing through the flow path. The temperature sensor is electrically connected to laser processor 190 and outputs a signal to laser processor 190 indicative of the temperature of the coolant. Based on this signal and the signal from the temperature sensor 91 , the laser processor 190 may output a signal indicating the temperature of the cooling medium to the temperature controller 93 .

The descriptions above are intended to be illustrative only, not limiting. Accordingly, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the claims. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments of the present disclosure may be used in combination.
Terms used throughout the specification and claims should be interpreted as "non-limiting" unless explicitly stated otherwise. For example, the terms "including,""having,""comprising,""comprising," etc. are to be interpreted as "does not exclude the presence of elements other than those listed." Also, the modifier "a" should be interpreted to mean "at least one" or "one or more." Also, the term "at least one of A, B and C" shall be interpreted as "A", "B", "C", "A+B", "A+C", "B+C" or "A+B+C", and further and combinations other than "A,""B," and "C."

Claims

an inner housing including a passage opening through which light generated by excitation of the laser gas in the inner space passes;
an outer housing that surrounds at least a portion of the inner housing from the side of the light traveling direction;
a partition disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing and fixed to the inner housing and the outer housing;
A chamber apparatus.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
There are a plurality of the partition walls, and the partition walls are arranged in parallel at intervals in the traveling direction of the light.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
The outer housing is
an outer body portion that encloses the inner housing from the side and includes an opening on the side;
a cover plate covering the opening;
including
The cover plate includes a protrusion that protrudes outward from the side surface of the outer main body.
A chamber apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
The protrusion is bent toward the side surface.
A chamber apparatus according to claim 4,
The length of the protrusion from the bent portion of the protrusion to the end of the protrusion is 100 mm or more and 150 mm or less.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
It further comprises cooling fins arranged on the inner peripheral surface of the inner housing.
A chamber apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
The cooling fins are plural,
Each of the cooling fins is arranged in parallel with an interval in the traveling direction of the light.
A chamber apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
The partition is plural,
The respective partition walls are arranged in parallel in the traveling direction of the light at intervals,
The partition walls and the cooling fins are alternately arranged along the traveling direction of the light.
A chamber apparatus according to claim 8,
The cooling fins are arranged between the adjacent partition walls.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
A gap partitioned by the partition wall between the inner housing and the outer housing is a flow path through which a cooling medium flows.
11. The chamber apparatus of claim 10, comprising
The cooling medium further includes a passage provided at the same position as the partition wall in the traveling direction of the light and through which the cooling medium flows from one of the adjacent gaps to the other gap.
12. The chamber apparatus of claim 11, comprising
The partition is plural,
The respective partition walls are arranged in parallel in the traveling direction of the light at intervals,
When viewed along the traveling direction of the light, the passage provided at the same position as one of the adjacent partitions in the traveling direction of the light is the same as the other partition adjacent to the one partition. It is provided at a position that does not overlap with the passage provided at the same position in the traveling direction of the light.
11. The chamber apparatus of claim 10, comprising
A temperature controller is further provided for adjusting the temperature of the cooling medium.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
The outer housing includes a plate surrounding a surface of the inner housing that includes the passage opening,
A mirror is arranged on the plate to face the passage opening and to reflect at least part of the light.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
The outer housing is
an outer body portion that encloses the inner housing from the side and includes an opening on the side;
a cover plate covering the opening;
including
An insulating portion and a sealing member for sealing between the cover plate and the insulating portion are arranged on the cover plate.
16. The chamber apparatus of claim 15, comprising
The material of the cover plate is a nickel alloy,
The sealing member is a metal seal.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
The plate thickness of the inner housing is 7 mm or less.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
The plate thickness of the outer housing is 3 mm or less.
The chamber apparatus of claim 1, comprising:
The plate thickness of the outer casing is thinner than the plate thickness of the inner casing.
A method for manufacturing an electronic device,
an inner housing including a passage opening through which light generated by excitation of the laser gas in the inner space passes;
an outer housing that surrounds at least a portion of the inner housing from the side of the light traveling direction;
a partition disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing and fixed to the inner housing and the outer housing;
generating laser light by a gas laser apparatus comprising a chamber apparatus comprising
outputting the laser light to an exposure device;
A method of manufacturing an electronic device, comprising: exposing a photosensitive substrate with the laser light in the exposure apparatus to manufacture the electronic device.